Football can be an absurdly cruel game. It is a fiercely competitive environment and not all professionals end up being cut out for it. It could be the responsibility that comes with playing for a big club or the weight of a heavy price tag, but those seemingly destined for greatness do not always achieve it. There are also cases where a player reaches the top at an early stage in their career, only to crumble in their latter years while other players continue to strive for glory. In such a physical environment fitness is paramount and it is therefore unsurprising that those that fail to maintain it fall at the wayside. Not something you choose, injury proneness has blighted the careers of some of the most wonderful players to have played the game. Others just lack ambition, but some players just appear to fade away and never quite meet their billing.

Whatever the reason is, here we take a look at some players who seemed destined for big things and never achieved them, or already basked in their glory and suffered an early decline.

Click on Mateja Kezman to unveil the 10 who suffered a premature decline

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